Yeukai Munetsi
Gweru – Zimbabwe Human Rights NGO Forum recently encouraged the National Peace and Reconciliation Commission (NPRC) to include marginalized rural communities of Zimbabwe in the peace processes.
The remarks were made by ZHR NGO Forum Programmes Coordinator Advocate Wilbert Mandinde on June 27during the International day of Support to Victims of Torture and Community Dialogue commemorations hosted by National Transitional Justice Working Group Zimbabwe (NTJWGZ) alongside the NPRC in the Midlands capital.
In his speech, Mandinde said the notion comes following a similar host of such community dialogues which have been spearheaded across in line with human rights abuse issues.
“We have been to Bulawayo, Silobela, Lower Gweru, Lupane, Manicaland province and we are still going around the country .People have been very positive towards us as we seek to speak to real issues.
“We have our own dark history as Zimbabwe like the Gukurahundi, something that the government has not brought to the fore. We have the Chihambakwe report which was given to President Mugabe and was never publicized that has led people to believe that government is ignoring.
“We are a country of victims one way or the other, hence we are calling upon government to ratify national convention against torture as a way of the country actually demonstrating through legislation within the international community that they are fighting torture,” said Mandinde.
He further highlighted that the marginalized communities are apprehensive towards the 2023 elections fearing that such cases of torture might recur.
“People from the rural communities are very apprehensive about the upcoming elections and those that were spoken to want to unite to avoid acts of violence, operate fully in rural communities as they were not fully aware of the reconciliation processes.
“We call upon the NPRC to ensure that its peace committees are seen, functioning and seen in the communities,” he added.
Counselling Services Unit (CSU) Programmes manager Reason Machengere said June 26 remained one of their most important days.
“We are an organization that provides holistic rehabilitation to victims of organized violence and torture through provision of medical and psychological rehabilitation and we take seriously June 26 commemorations.
“As an organization we have assisted over 30 000 victims over the past 20 years and encouraged such victims to contact them for assistance,” Machengere said.
Gweru resident John Nyamombe however applauded NPRC for reaching out to affected communities.
“I personally applaud what NPRC has done for us and we encourage both the NPRC and NTJWGZ to include rural areas as they are often left out in such important processes of nation building,” he said.
Cases of politically motivated violence have been reported in the country with the most notable being the murder of Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) activist Mboneni Ncube in Kwekwe during Nelson Chamisa’s rally in the run up to March 26 by-elections.
The latest still contentious issue being the death of MoreBlessing Ali that triggered political unrest in Chitungwiza leading to arrest of CCC deputy chairperson and Zengeza West legislator Job Sikhala and his Chitungwiza North counterpart Godfrey Sithole who are accused of inciting violence at the late Ali (reported to be a CCC activist)’s funeral wake.
